The look on Julius's face changed.

He stood up and raised his hand.

The moment the slap landed, my ear started ringing. The taste of blood filled my mouth.

Julius shook his stinging hand and gave a dismissive laugh. "I suggest you take a good look at your situation."

"I've got plenty of ways to make you listen."

His father stared at me coldly. "Don't touch the face. It's too valuable."

Julius smiled and nodded. "Good point."

Then he pulled something out. My violin case.

"No!" I struggled to sit up, to stop him. "Put it down!"

He opened the case and took out the 18th-century antique violin inside. It was the most important thing my mother had left me.

"A real beauty," Julius said, pulling out the bow. "What a shame."

"Julius, please—" my voice trembled. "That was my mother's—"

"I know," he smiled. "That's why this will be so effective."

Snap.

The bow broke in two in his hands.

"No—!" I screamed.

"Just be a good girl, Scarlett." Julius tossed the broken pieces in front of me. "Or the violin is next. Then your fingers."

He grabbed my right hand and pried my fingers apart. "These delicate fingers... they look so beautiful when you play. But if a few of them were broken—"

He pressed down hard on the knuckle of my index finger. "—you'd be a cripple for the rest of your life."

The pain was so sharp I couldn't breathe. The fear of never playing again was worse than death.

"I'll... I'll cooperate." I closed my eyes in defeat. "Let go of my hand."

Just hold on, I told myself. Dad's men will find me soon...

Julius let go, a satisfied smile on his face.

"That's better." He took out a small bag and tossed it at me. "Change into this."

I opened it. Inside was a black lace nightgown. It was practically see-through.

"Here?" I looked up at the three of them.

"Just do it," his father snapped. "The Don could be here any minute."

I looked at Julius, holding on to one last shred of hope that he’d remember the three years we'd shared and spare me this humiliation.

"Julius, I'm your fiancée..."

"Fiancée?" Julius laughed, then patted my cheek with contempt. "You really think I ever loved you?"

"If I hadn't realized you were a dead ringer for the Don's late wife, I never would've wasted so much time on you."

I couldn't believe it. Our entire relationship was a lie. And I was the fool who had fallen for it completely.

I bit my lip, my body trembling as I peeled off my coat, fighting back the shame.

Just then, there was a knock on the heavy iron door.

A guard's voice came from the other side. "Someone's here from the Don to inspect the merchandise."

A spark of hope ignited in me. The man inspecting the merchandise is one of my father's men. He'll recognize me. He has to.

I'd been sheltered my whole life and rarely appeared in public, but the core members of the Family would have seen my picture.

The iron door opened.

A bald man covered in tattoos walked in, flanked by two guards with rifles.

Julius eagerly pushed me in front of the man, selling me like a piece of meat. "This is my girlfriend. See? A dead ringer for her, right?"

"And I swear, she's untouched. Completely clean. The Don will be very satisfied."

"Look," he pleaded, "I'm even giving up my girl. So about that debt I owe you..."

The man's eyes were flat as they scanned me, showing nothing.

My hope vanished.

He didn't recognize me.

I remembered my father had been recruiting foreign muscle lately. They didn't follow the old family traditions. They only cared about money.

The bald man, Rocco, walked up to me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up.

"Open your mouth," he ordered.

I shakily opened my mouth. He checked my teeth like he was inspecting livestock at a market.

"Not bad," he grunted, satisfied. "She really does look like the woman in the portrait in the Don's study."

He was talking about my mother.

I took a deep breath and whispered the code my father had taught me. "Sotto la rosa."

Under the rose—the secret password between members of the Family.

It was useless.

Rocco paused for a second, then burst out laughing.

"What the hell is this bitch talking about? Latin?" He slammed the butt of his gun into my forehead.

A blast of pain, and warm blood trickled down, blurring my vision.

"I'm... I'm the Don's daughter..." I tried desperately to explain. "I'm Scarlett..."

Rocco froze, a flicker of doubt on his face.

"Ha!" Julius roared with laughter. "Don't listen to her crap! The Don's daughter?"

"We were together for three years, and you never once mentioned a father. You're an orphan," he sneered, crouching down to look at me. "Now you cook up a lie like this? You think we're idiots?"

Rocco's expression turned dark.

"I've never heard of the Don having a daughter." He pulled a cigar from his pocket and lit it. "Running your mouth like that... looks like you need to be taught some manners."

Then he grabbed my right hand and ground the burning tip of his cigar into the back of it.

The sick-sweet smell of my own burning flesh filled the air.

My scream echoed through the cellar.

"Stop! Stop!" I cried. "I'm telling the truth—"

Rocco kicked me in the stomach, and I curled into a ball of pain.

"Don't think that face gives you a free pass. One more word out of you, and I'll dislocate your jaw," he said coldly. "Then all you'll be able to do is whimper."

And he did it.

His rough fingers clamped onto my jawbone and gave it a hard twist.

CRACK.

My jaw was dislocated. I couldn't close my mouth. Saliva and blood drooled down my chin. The pain sent my whole body into convulsions. I tried to scream, but only broken sobs came out.

"Much quieter." Rocco wiped his hands, satisfied. He pulled a dagger from his belt. "This is just a warning. If you pull any crap when you see the Don, I'll slice this little hand of yours to ribbons..."

The cold tip of the blade traced a thin, bloody line across my skin. I felt like he was about to drive it straight through my palm.

I tried to shrink back, but Rocco grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the floor.

He laughed, a wicked sound. "You know, you look a lot better when you're scared to death. Too bad you're for the Don, otherwise..."

"What are you doing?"

A cold, commanding voice came from the doorway.

A voice I'd known for twenty years.

My father, Leopold, was here.

I struggled to lift my head so he could see me, but my hair was matted to my face with blood. I saw his gaze pass over me without a flicker of recognition. I tried to make a sound, but Rocco shot me a warning look and stepped in front of me, blocking his view.

"Don," he said, bowing his head respectfully. "Just inspecting the merchandise."

Leopold stepped into the cellar, his eyes scanning the trembling Julius and his family, then the blood on the floor.

"Who gave you permission to make a mess in here?" He frowned. "The smell of blood disgusts me."

He glanced at Julius. "This is the gambler who owes me five million?"

"Yes, Don," Rocco nodded. "He brought this woman to settle the debt. I've checked her out, she's—"

Leopold's expression soured. "I wanted money, not a woman."

"But Boss—" Rocco tried to explain.

"Get her out of here," Leopold waved a dismissive hand. "With the rest of this trash. They're staining my carpet."

No.

It couldn't end like this.

I fought with everything I had, trying to crawl towards my father. But Rocco's men had me by the arms, dragging me away.

Just as they were pulling me through the door, I wrenched one hand free.

My fingers fumbled for the secret pocket in my bra, for the ring hidden inside.

My mother's ring. The only one in the world.

With the last of my strength, I threw it.

The silver ring flew through the air in a high arc, landing with a single, sharp clink on the tile floor at Leopold's feet.

Leopold glanced down. The moment he saw the ring, his body went rigid.

Then he shot his head up, his eyes locking onto mine.